Thelma and James stopped by the studio to talk about how their project came together and how quickly everything happened after writing their first song.
Mackenzie Porter explained that the name “Thelma and James” came together quickly because the opportunity did, too. She and her husband Jake had written just a verse and a chorus of a song together, posted it online, and went viral overnight when her record label, Big Loud, called and said they wanted to sign their duo. The only problem was that the duo didn’t have a name yet. Mackenzie said the label asked what the band would be called, and she asked for a moment to call them back. She and Jake quickly decided on “Thelma and James,” pulling from their own names, Thelma is Mackenzie’s middle name, and James is Jake’s legal first name. They weren’t even trying to start a band when they wrote the song. They had met through songwriting years earlier, but hadn’t written together in about a decade. Though they noted their first co-write wasn’t necessarily memorable. At the time, it happened at Jake’s ex-girlfriend’s fiancé’s house, which they admitted made the story even stranger. After meeting while writing songs, they stopped collaborating creatively and focused on life instead from dating and getting married, to then starting a family.
Ten years later, Mackenzie was having a rough night and wanted to write a song. Jake was the closest songwriter available, so they sat down together around 9 p.m. and started working. That session turned into a song called “Happy Ever After You.” The next day they posted a clip of the song on TikTok. The response came quickly. The video began gaining traction and by the following morning they woke up to a surge of attention online. That momentum helped lead to the duo signing the deal with Big Loud. For now, Mackenzie said the focus is mainly on their duo because the project feels right and they’re enjoying the process. The pair recently performed on The Top Shelf Country Cruise where they connected with the show’s team and played for fans onboard. After seeing them perform a bunch on the cruise, Bobby wanted them to come into the studio for an interview after the trip. The couple brought their daughter, Bowen, on the cruise. Mackenzie joked that their daughter had quickly become more popular than they were, with people recognizing her around the ship.
Mackenzie also talked about her acting career. She currently plays a doctor named Samantha on the show Nashville 911, which required her to dye her hair darker for the role. She shared a funny moment from filming when she accidentally pulled out the wrong organ during a surgical scene and mistakenly announced it was the kidney when it was actually the heart. Jake shared some of his own background as well. Originally from South Carolina, he studied marketing and management at the University of South Carolina before pursuing music full time. He moved to Nashville and spent years writing songs and playing in bands. At one point, he joined a band based in Holland called The Common Linnets. He helped write songs for the project and eventually toured with them across Europe. Despite the opportunity overseas, Nashville remained home, especially after he and Mackenzie were already in a relationship. Now the couple is balancing music and family life while building their duo project together. They said having the same career makes touring easier with a child because their daughter can travel with both of them. They also shared that their daughter has already started recognizing their music. While eating at Mitchell’s Deli in East Nashville, one of their songs began playing in the restaurant and their daughter noticed it before they did, pointing at the speakers and saying “mama” and “dada.”
They are currently preparing to go on tour with Luke Combs. Mackenzie said they were still surprised by how it came together, explaining that Luke had been one of the first major artists to comment on their early TikTok videos and support them singing together. Soon after, his team reached out and invited them to join the tour.
Even with the rapid rise, the couple said they are simply enjoying the moment and seeing where the music goes next. The duo performed Mackenzie’s collaboration with Dustin Lynch “Thinking ‘Bout You” and their newly released song “If You Ain’t In Love By Now.”
